December 27, 2011

USA: Times Square Tops New Year's Eve Destinations

Times Square Tops New Year's Eve Destinations

NEW YORK -- The Big Apple will run with the ball this holiday weekend -- Times Square tops the list of New Year's party destinations for US merrymakers, according to a new survey.
Break out the champagne because it's the first time in seven years that the city has skipped past Las Vegas and grabbed star billing on Priceline.com's list of the top 50 New Year's Destinations for US Travelers.
"I think the weather had a lot to do with it," said the travel site's spokesman Brian Ek. "For New Year's Eve, the weather is going to be really mild compared to what it usually is. A lot of people are fine hanging out in Times Square if it's warmer weather."
"Vegas, you've got the weather, the gambling, the shows, so typically New York comes in a strong two," he added. "This year, New York, hands down, is the favorite destination."
Ek said the list, which breaks down hottest New Year's spots by neighborhood, is based on hotel booking requests made for the long weekend with its reservation service.
The Times Square/Theater District area was ranked No. 1, followed by Las Vegas' Strip Vicinity South in second. Manhattan's Midtown West neighborhood snagged third. Las Vegas' Strip North snared the fourth spot, with Manhattan's Midtown East rounding out the top five.
All in all, New York neighborhoods nabbed seven of the top 10 spots and 14 of the 50 spots.
While the weather in Times Square won't exactly be balmy this weekend, it will be fairly mild for a winter weekend in New York.
The temperature at the Crossroads of the World around midnight should be in the mid-30s Fahrenheit (about two degrees Celsius) with no rain, said AccuWeather.com meteorologist Tom Kines.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/is_on_the_ball_qWQthjOePLwRHaZOWQCj5K